Summer Stone Fruit & Lemon Tart
I can't believe how long its taken me to share a recipe from my new MOST favorite cookbook EVER. I picked up a copy last November in Napa when I had the pleasure of meeting the {most lovely} author at the film festival there and because she was so lovely I bought her cookbook.
Usually whenever I get a new cookbook, I can't wait to take an hour {or sometimes two} to sift through and enjoy the inspiration I might get, but for whatever reason, this book just sat on my shelf for probably three months with nary a second glance. Then, one day my friend Heather picked it up and started going through it. She didn't tell me at the time how much she liked it--she just went straight home and ordered herself a copy.
About a week later, Heather emailed our group of friends and decided we should start a "cookbook club" and she wanted to host the first one at her house and she wanted the book to be this Seasons in the Wine Country book. I was a little taken aback....pleased that I already had the cookbook on hand and wouldn't need to borrow or purchase, but a little bewildered that this was the book that she'd chosen for our very first cookbook club meeting? I just didn't get it ....... until two weeks later when we had our first "meeting".
Heather had already prepared probably half a dozen recipes before the meeting for her family and she made three more dishes for the actual meeting night. I made one recipe, and our other friend made one recipe. Everything was OFF THE CHARTS. Amazing. From corn crab soup to spinach souffle to an Asian-inspired steak salad....everything was delicious! We ended up having a second cookbook club meeting to try even more recipes from it.... and now, any time our friends all get together for dinner or other celebration, we all end up making something from this book. It's that good.
We've had two subsequent cookbook club meetings, one featuring the Bottega cookbook {which was fabulous} and another using Ad Hoc {also great}, but neither of which were as lovely as the recipes and dishes from Cate Conniff's Seasons book.
It is divine. In every way on every page. Cate has done a magnificent job pulling together the best of the best from the Culinary Institute at Greystone and we may very well end up devoting yet another evening to try even more of this book's delights.
This stone fruit tart {which I adapted so that I could share it with you} is not only a sight to behold for your eyes, but it is the most lovely explosion of flavor for your tastebuds on top of it. The crust is tender yet crunchy, the lemon curd is lightand perfectly tart {by far the best I've ever tasted} and the juicy sweetness of the stone fruit is absolutely incredible!
Simply said: Make this tart..... then get your hands on this cookbook {or buy it for somebody you want to cook for you}.
**In no way, shape or form was I compensated or otherwise bribed for the opinions herein. I bought the book and from the bottom of my belly want to make {or taste} every single recipe in it.**
Ingredients:
For the tart crust:
10 Tablespoons butter, unsalted, chilled and cut into cubes
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour, plus more for rolling the dough
3 tablespoons cold water
For the lemon curd:
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 cup granulated sugar
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
5-6 pieces of peaches, plums, nectarines {any combination}
3 tablespoons peach or apricot jam
2 tablespoons water
Fresh verbena or mint leaves for garnish
Directions:
For the crust:
In the bowl of your mixer with the paddle attachments, combine the butter, sugar and salt. Beat mixture on Speed 2 for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for another minute on Speed 2, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed.
Add in the flour and continue beating on Speed 1 until mixture is just blended.
Add in 1 tablespoon of cold water at a time until mixture comes together.
Lightly flour your workspace and turn out the dough and form the dough into a disc, about 1 inch thick.
Wrap disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
Preheat oven to Convection Bake setting at 350 degrees {Bake at 350 if your oven does not have that feature}.
Allow the dough to slightly soften before turning it out onto a floured surface or pastry cloth. Sprinkle the dough with a little bit of flour and roll it out until it is about 1-1 1/2 inches larger than the pan you are going to use; mine was a 10" tart pan with removable bottom. If using individual size tart pans, cut out circles with a knife slightly larger than the tart pans.
Press the dough into the tart pan(s) and shape nicely. Place in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes so dough hardens.
Prick holes using a fork into the bottom and sides of the dough. Gently place aluminum foil or parchment paper over the tart and cover with pie weights, dried beans or dried rice to weight the foil or paper down.
Bake for about 12-15 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven and carefully put away the weights and discard the foil or paper. Place tart back into oven for about 10 minutes, until edges begin to brown.
Allow tart crust to cool before proceeding.
For the lemon curd:
In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the lemon zest, juice, eggs and yolks and sugar. Whisk together and transfer to a double boiler or heat safe bowl placed over a pot of boiling water.
Heat mixture over medium heat, stirring often until mixture begins to thicken; about 10 minutes. Whisk in the butter and remove from heat.
Pour the lemon mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl set over an ice bath.
Allow the curd to cool and then transfer to the prepared tart crust. Refrigerate for about one hour.
Remove tart from refrigerator and begin slicing and placing fruit decoratively over the lemon curd. NOTE: in order to keep stone fruit from browning, give the slices a little splash of lemon juice before placing.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, add peach or apricot preserves and water and stir until mixture comes to a boil and smoothes out.
Using a pastry brush, gently brush a light coat of the preserves over the fruit.
Garnish with fresh verbena or mint leaves.
If you have a little extra dough, make a mini version to take to your best friend {or neighbor}....you'll totally make their day!
What a lucky friend you have!
How do you cut it for serving? It’s lovely and sounds delicious, but I’m afraid I’d butcher it!
Hi Ann,
I just use a really sharp knife, like a ceramic, to make slices. If chilled, the fruit should slice easily without making a mess. Good luck! I’d love to know what you think of this!
Warmly, Amy